Christmas: Gold Coast City Council to spend eye-watering amount of money on Christmas decorations
If you thought you spent a lot on Christmas, check this out. The Gold Coast is getting some new decorations this year and the amount they cost is eye-watering.
Council
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CHRISTMAS is coming early for the Gold Coast, with city leaders set to spend more than half a million dollars on decorations this year.
Council budget documents reveal that at least $530,000 will be spent revamping the city’s suburbs to become a “Christmas wonderland”.
It’s an increase of more than $200,000 on last year and something councillor say is long overdue.
The largest spend is in Surfers Paradise, where $255,100 has been committed to new decorations.
Area councillor Gary Baildon said the increased funding came after ongoing complaints from residents and tourists.
“In recent years the Christmas displays in Surfers Paradise have not been up to my expectations,” he said.
“We now have a concept plan for the next three to five years with the view to making Surfers Paradise a major Christmas destination.
“This investment should last for several years.”
Funding for Christmas decorations comes out of each councillor’s division budgets.
Each of the 14 divisional councillors receive $750,000 annually to spend on community projects and events or minor local infrastructure.
Any unspent funds roll over into the next financial year.
The second-largest spend on decorations is in Division 10, which covers Broadbeach and Mermaid Beach.
Area councillor Paul Taylor said he was hoping to secure better Christmas pageantry which could be used across the suburbs he represents and make it more welcoming to tourists.
“We have had a lot of complaints in recent years that, despite being a holiday destination, we were not suitably Christmassy,” he said.
“So I wanted to really get that Christmas effect so we can impress both tourists and locals.
“We haven’t been able to do as much with places like Kurrawa-Pratten Parklands so this will change.”
An analysis of council budget documents provides a breakdown of the decoration spend across the city in the coming financial year:
* Division 4 (Labrador) - $35,000
* Division 5 (Nerang) $20,000
* Division 6 (Southport) - $18,000
* Division 7 (Surfers Paradise) - $255,100
* Division 10 (Broadbeach) - $170,000
* Division 13 (Palm Beach) - $30,000
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Nerang councillor Peter Young said he was pleased to secure funds for the western suburbs after being unable to allocate any money for Christmas decorations last year.
“Unfortunately for the last couple of years the decorations have been focused in the seaboard areas,” he said.
“People ask for it, they miss it.”
The council was slammed by locals in 2016 as “grinches” after saving money by cutting back on the number of Christmas decorations erected across the city.
Instead it spent the funds buying LED lights which could change colour and be used for different occasions.
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